We need a healthy view of our own sinful condition. When we truly understand what the Bible teaches about sin, we will have an increasing understanding of the gravity of our sin. Romans 3:23 states: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.
When we understand how sinful we are, we will better understand our need for Jesus’ atonement. When we understand the magnitude of Jesus’ atonement, we should have a heart of gratitude toward God.
That gratitude is reflected in how we react to the sins of others. Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Since we are forgiven, when we have a living relationship with God through Jesus, we should be people who forgive others. Matthew 6:14-15 does not give any qualifiers for forgiveness. It is a blanket expectation that we forgive because we have had our many sins forgiven.
As I was contemplating my sinfulness, I asked myself the following questions: How do I react to the sin of others? How does the Bible call me to react to the sin my fellow believers commit? Do I have indignant anger? Is that a righteous way to respond to the sin of others? Is that my pride? Shouldn’t I, instead, respond with humility and gratefulness to God for the forgiveness He offers each of us? Shouldn’t I be grateful for the mercy and the grace God has shown me?
Please, take time to ask yourself those same questions. What is God showing you about His forgiveness for your sins, and how you react to the sins committed by fellow believers?
I believe the Christian community has lost sight of how horrible any sin is. Sin is rebellion against our perfect, holy, righteous, and just God. As forgiven sinners, we are not to condemn ourselves over our sin. But Godexpects us to have an accurate Biblical view of our sin so that we recognize our need for Jesus. Daily we should express our gratitude to God for His forgiveness of our sins.
Without the understanding of our need for Jesus’ reconciling work on the cross, we would end up being separated from God for all eternity – that is the worst part of hell. Matthew 25:41: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
We live in a world that is attempting to remove the word sin from our vocabulary. That is extremely dangerous. A healthy view of sin will help God‘s people understand the depth of His love and forgiveness offered in the gospel. The greater we understand God’s love and forgiveness, the more enthusiastic we become in sharing the Good News.
What is the Good News? The Good News means people who are separated from God and destined and doomed for hell can be reconciled to Him because of Jesus’ work on the cross. Jesus’ death paid the penalty for ALL sins. Jesus’ resurrection proved that death has no hold on Christ’s followers. Through Christ we have eternal life.
A healthy view of our sin will lead us closer to God.
A healthy view of our sin should also change how we view others when they sin. That will be discussed further in next week’s writing.
Is Jesus Lord and Savior of your life? If not, why are you holding back from making a total commitment to Him?
Can I help you with this?
Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.
Copyright 2025 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.